Stop this decay

Letter to Editor, The Scotsman, 9 July 2003

T Flinn, Garvald, East Lothian

Your recent article advocating legislation to ensure owners of valuable buildings respect their stewardship should also be applied to be village pubs. At present, the owner of a supposedly moribund hotel can be refused permission to change its use, but cannot be obliged to reinstate it or sell it to someone who will.

In East Lothian, the Garvald Hotel was once a viable business, but it has been empty for over two years. As the owner has just refused an offer, the council is justified in refusing an application to convert it into a house; but, as there is no obligation to renovate the hotel or to sell it on, it can legally be allowed to fall into decay to the point of ruin.

Such (in)action deprives the community of an asset and is against the public interest.

Please note that this application has not yet been decided. A planning report has been written, but the recommendation within that report is not yet available to the public.